This is the shocking moment a 16-year-old was caught fighting outside a north-east school – with a knife in his pocket.
Two boys were captured on film brawling outside Turriff Academy while pupils waited for their buses home.
It is the latest in a series of assaults which have been caught on film by students at schools across the region in recent months.
The 30-second clip emerged yesterday, just weeks after a Cults Academy pupil was locked up for nine years for killing classmate Bailey Gwynne in a knife attack during his lunch hour.
And it comes just days after Aberdeen City Council announced the scope of their review into the tragedy, which will examine what, if any, changes need to be made within the current youth justice system and any measures that need to be implemented to ensure the safety and welfare of pupils across the north-east.
The boy with the knife in the newly-released video, which was shot last April, was subsequently charged with assault and carrying a weapon.
He admitted the offence at Banff Sheriff Court in February and will be sentenced in September.
Last night, local residents reacted with concern about the growing number of incidents involving young people and knives.
Local councillor, Sandy Duncan, said that he found the video “distressing”.
He added: “As a councillor, I would hope there isn’t a problem developing with knives in schools.
“I’m extremely distressed to hear that one person was caught with a knife in Turriff.
“Pupils should not be carrying knives to school or at any time, in fact.”
The video opens with one of those involved commenting: “It’s safe”, while another adds: “We can legally do it now”.
A boy wearing a blue hoodie and tracksuit bottoms then begins punching another boy, dressed in school uniform.
However, the attacker is not believed to be a pupil at the secondary school which, last night, was described as having a “strict” dress code.
The two boys are pictured continuing to fight in the street before the uniformed pupil manages to gain the upper-hand and pins the other boy against a metal fence in a headlock.
But, as he does this, spectators can be heard commenting about the weapon which can be seen poking out of his trouser pocket.
An adult breaks up the fight and the 16-year-old runs away.
Vincent Docherty, head of secondary education at Aberdeenshire Council, confirmed that, following the incident, a series of assemblies took place to reinforce the law regarding knives.
He added: “Young people are aware of the dangers of bullying behaviour, online and offline, with policies in place to protect them.
“We also continue to raise awareness of all the issues young people may face, whether it is bullying, or violent behaviour and we do this alongside partner organisations and with parents to ensure Aberdeenshire has safe learning spaces.
“A series of assemblies took place late last year in conjunction with school liaison officers from Police Scotland to reinforce the message that it is against the law to carry a weapon.
“We are taking this matter very seriously given recent incidents in schools.”
Chairwoman of Turriff and District Community Council, Rose Logan said: “That’s the first I have heard about it. I have a grandson at the school so it is quite worrying if that type of thing is going on at any school.
“It’s worrying in any community these days because knives are so available.”
However she said she did not believe searching every pupil that goes into school is the answer, and instead called for more education on the dangerous consequences of carrying knives.
A police spokeswoman confirmed the boy in the hoodie was charged following the attack.
Following Bailey Gwynne’s death, reports of knives being taken into schools and videos of assaults on school property began circling social media.
Last month, a 10-year-old boy was charged by police after bringing a penknife to a school in the Fraserburgh area.
A week later, a teenager was charged with bringing a serrated blade into Fraserburgh Academy.
And last week, a video of a brutal assault taking place in Fraserburgh Academy’s locker rooms was shared online.
These recent incidents have happened while Aberdeen City Council, Police Scotland and other bodies conduct a review into all the circumstances surrounding the tragedy at Cults Academy.
The independent review, led by Andrew Lowe, is expected to be published in September.
